Vineyards

Eighteen varieties are cultivated within the four vineyards. These reflect the regions heritage with Bordeaux varieties (Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot). Also included are the white varieties Marsanne, Roussane and Chardonnay and the red varieties Grenache, Mataro, Tempranillo, Syrah, Zinfandel and Barbera.

The vineyards are farmed using old-fashioned commons sense, cultivating a system in which the soil and its organisms, along with plants, insects and animals co-exist in a thriving equilibrium.

McHenry's is a 17 hectares site planted across various aspects, as dictated by the contours of a sharp bend in the river.

Calgardup Brook has been developed since 1995. The 40 hectares of vineyard lie on the south side of Calgardup Brook, a westerly flowing stream south of Witchcliffe.

Rocky Road was purchased in 1998. The vines are planted on 40 hectares of north facing slopes on ironstone gravels on a tributary of the Upper Chapman Brook.

McLeod Creek straddles the confluence of three southerly streams, the main one being McLeod Creek. Exposure to the 'Southerly Buster' makes this 23 hectare site challenging to cultivate.

Winemaking

Winemaking is handled by David, his daughter Freya and her partner, Ryan Walsh. The McHenry Hohnen's winery is located at the Rocky Road vineyard.

At McHenry Hohnen no real divide is seen between the vineyard and winery. Winemaking is a natural process where they monitor and help rather than employing systematic techniques. French oak is an important part of the process as an ideal vessel for wine maturation, but no new oak is used to ensure the finished wine is subtle and integrated. The resulting wines express their varietal characters whilst reflecting site specific uniqueness of each individual plot.